FW: Last update

Good morning rugby fans across the Nobs World.  The RWC is over but our agents are still filing reports.  Today we have the final update from John Truman in New Zealand.  It won’t be long and he will be catching a steamer to begin the long trek home.  Thanks for all the reports John.  Don’t forget tonight’s game and to try and be there for 6:30, so we can be underway by 7pm.  Da Thug

 

From: John Truman Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 6:14 PM

 

Hi Craig, we are now down in Queenstown in the South Island and will be going on another short boat cruise on Doubtful Sound tomorrow. We managed to escape all the madness in Auckland just before they close the streets around the harbour area in redainess for the AB victory parade. They were expecting crowds of 250,000.

 

I saw Dave Tait's update and we must have been in Mt Manganui at the same time. it's a lovely vacation area but of course the beaches were restricted because of the oil spill from the Rena disaster. What a shame for the locals. We didn't see so much oil spill but did see several containers that washed ashore and were spilling stuff onto the beach area. I also climbed the mountain and got a good look at the wreck still trapped on the reef a few kilometres out to sea.

 

Anyway back in Auckland we went to the bronze medal game and it was a disappointment not just because Wales lost but the game itself wasn't up to much. Everyone there except Aussie fans were supporting Wales and wanted a Wales/All Black finla because of the way wales were playing earlier but it was not to be. They looked really flat after the efforts of the French game and in the end we had no problem with the result. At least we won the anthem singing "competition" according to a NZ Herald poll.

 

The final though was something else again. One NZ Herald writer called it the ugliest game he had ever enjoyed. The atmosphere was supercharged and France did indeed show up as many predicted they would. In the end the close score made it nail biting and there were a lot of very nervous AB fans around us. They went wild when the final whistle went and when we got back to downtown Auckland it was pandemonium in the streets. What a show NZ put on though for the whole World Cup the organization was fantastic. Transport to and from the games was all free and plentiful. We wouldn't have missed it for the world.

 

Anyway see you in about a week. We are here for 4 days and then another 3 days back in Hamilton before setting off on the long trek home. Take care all...JKT